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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23942698">Smiling Scars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira'>Kalira</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cuddling &amp; Snuggling, Fluff, Love, M/M, Podfic Available, Post-Op Top Surgery, Supportive Partners, Trans Male Character, Trans Umino Iruka, Understanding, Wolf Hatake Kakashi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 00:21:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,724</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23942698</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Iruka has a new smile with his new scars, and Kakashi loves all of it (almost) as much as he does.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>124</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Smiling Scars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagnusTesla/gifts">MagnusTesla</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the wonderful MagnusTesla; happy birthday, dear, I hope you enjoy it! 🖤</p><p>Thank you to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/BooleanWildcard">42</a> for the super-short-notice readover and help!</p><p>There is a podfic (read by me) of this work available <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26107435">here</a>!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Iruka glanced down at himself, then put his coffee down on the bedside table and padded to the full length mirror, smoothing his hands over his own body. A soft thrill of happiness ran through him and he opened his arms to slide his shirt open with only a moment’s hesitation, letting it slip down over his upper arms.</p><p>He stood still, examining himself, drawing a deep breath. He’d done it many times since he’d come home from the hospital, but he couldn’t quite. . .</p><p>He twisted slightly, a grin tugging at his lips. He’d lost some of his muscle definition while he was restricted from training to heal - the next few days he would finally be able to get back to it, though taking in careful stages - but his body was-</p><p>Iruka trailed his fingers up his stomach and over his chest, very light as they passed over the red, raised curves of his new scars. His body was <i>his</i>, looked like his, made him <i>happy</i>. Iruka met his own eyes in the mirror and grinned a little wider even as he pulled his shirt back up over his shoulders, wrapping it around himself. He yawned, rubbing his face.</p><p>He’d gotten enough sleep . . . probably, anyway. He was still tired, though. <i>Healing</i>, he reminded himself. He was tired because his body was recovering. He glanced at the mirror again, arms tucked around himself - a long-familiar pose, half because it was comfortable and half because it shielded his silhouette. Muddled it.</p><p>The changes were obvious even like this, though, when he looked at himself. He loosened his arms a little and stood taller, breathing deeply.</p><p>He heard the door, which he had pulled to but not latched, swing open and bump lightly against the wall.</p><p>Iruka smiled as he felt the gentle nudge of his lover padding up behind him, soft fur and a tickle of whiskers against his side just over his hip and the inside of his forearm just below his sleeve. He looked around and down, and Kakashi perked his ears, one curious eye meeting his own.</p><p>Iruka sighed and sank to the floor, Kakashi sprawling out along with him as he went to curl close at his back. Iruka snuggled into him and took the offered support, glancing at the mirror again. It wasn’t that Iruka drew a line between Kakashi in his human shape and Kakashi in his wolf shape, precisely - it was <i>easy</i> to be with Kakashi, who he adored so much, who loved <i>him</i> so much in turn, who <i>made</i> it easy to be with him, and Kakashi was himself whichever shape he chose to be in. Iruka had never had trouble knowing it was Kakashi in the wolf’s fur as it was in pale, scarred skin.</p><p>. . .it was . . . <i>easier</i>, though, some days, to be with Kakashi in this shape. Days when Iruka had trouble with his <i>own</i> shape; with what he saw in the mirror feeling <i>wrong</i> in ways he couldn’t fix. Kakashi had adapted to the quirk with silent attentiveness, and it only made Iruka love him more.</p><p>He wrapped an arm around Kakashi’s neck, hugging him tight - he felt the faint pull in his chest from the movement - and Kakashi gave a happy whine, cuddling into him even more firmly, eyes closed. Iruka shivered at the feel of his lover’s soft fur brushing along tender, newly-healed skin through his shirt where it had fallen open a little.</p><p>Kakashi paused, ear flicking, and looked up at him again. Iruka laughed, warm and fond, and squeezed him tighter. He dipped his head and pressed a kiss to the top of Kakashi’s muzzle, laughing again as he felt the swish of Kakashi’s tail wagging once on his other side.</p><p>Iruka hesitated, then pulled away, and Kakashi cocked his head, one ear tilting out sideways. Iruka hummed, taking a breath, and slipped out of his shirt, putting it away from himself to lie on the floor. Kakashi was very careful as he edged closer, moving around Iruka to settle more in front of him. Iruka leaned into him, a little jerky, cuddling into his lover’s fur again without quite hiding himself.</p><p>“All healed.” Iruka said, glancing back at the mirror, fingertips trailing just alongside one of the new softly-curved scars on his chest. Curved like a smile, he thought, and laughed softly as his lips curved once more. He looked back at Kakashi.</p><p>He’d seen them in the weeks since Iruka’s surgery, of course, but . . . incidentally, more by nature of being around and being close, rather than being invited to <i>look</i>, and always in this shape. “You can- That is, if you want- I mean.” Iruka paused, taking a breath. Perhaps he wasn’t quite as steady with this as he’d thought. “Do you want to shift?” he asked quietly.</p><p>Kakashi perked up, gently nosing the centre of Iruka’s breastbone, making a soft questioning sound.</p><p>Iruka ruffled his fur, cupping both hands around the base of his ears. “Yes.” he said, taking a breath and bowing to rest his head against Kakashi’s. He felt the faint twinge in his chest as he bent, but it was . . . barely noticeable, now, compared to the pain when the scars had been new and raw.</p><p>He’d . . . rather enjoyed <i>that</i>, too - not for the pain itself, but for the . . . reminder of what it meant.</p><p>Kakashi moved against him, shifting shapes and settling on folded human legs before Iruka. He huffed a laugh at himself and smoothed his hands down his lover’s face, cupping his jaw for a moment, fingers catching in wild silver hair.</p><p>Kakashi leaned in, a soft look in his eye, fingers sliding over Iruka’s hips. He was a little unsteadier without Kakashi’s body at his back, and he caught hold of his lover’s shoulders for support.</p><p>“Hello gorgeous.” Kakashi said, and Iruka bit his lip, cheeks warming. Kakashi smiled in return, hands sliding up his sides. He dropped a kiss on Iruka’s nose. “Sure?” he asked, nuzzling down until his own sharp nose nudged against Iruka’s cheek.</p><p>Iruka took a breath, smiling, and nodded. Kakashi’s face lit happily and he drew back a little, bony hands splaying wider over Iruka’s sides, gaze trailing down over his body.</p><p>Iruka swallowed, throat tightening a little, a giddy breathlessness in his chest.</p><p>Kakashi brushed a feather-light kiss to his breastbone, the same place as before, then just-</p><p>
  <i>Looked at him.</i>
</p><p>Iruka fought not to squirm, caught between giddiness and delight and unease.</p><p>Kakashi trailed one hand higher, ever so gentle, barely brushing over the new scar and feathering over Iruka’s pectoral on one side. He squirmed a little, toes curling.</p><p>“You are gorgeous, you know, koibito.” Kakashi said, looking up, meeting Iruka’s gaze.</p><p>“Kakashi. . .” Iruka touched his cheek, and he tilted his head, nipping gently at the meat of Iruka’s thumb, sharp teeth flashing.</p><p>“Truth.” Kakashi countered before Iruka could even protest properly, and dipped his head to kiss just beside the end of one of the new scars, making Iruka shiver. “You always have been. My gorgeous ‘ruka. . .”</p><p>“<i>Kakashi.</i>” Iruka wound a bit of Kakashi’s hair around his fingers and pulled gently.</p><p>Kakashi laughed, a warm, rough rumble that thrummed through Iruka’s chest. He relaxed, letting himself ease down onto his back on the floor - he couldn’t see himself in the mirror any more, but he was mostly watching Kakashi now anyway.</p><p>Kakashi kissed up from the arc of the scar along the curve of the muscle above, and Iruka softened his grip, stroking down to pet the nape of his lover’s neck. Kakashi nestled against him, gentle but close, cheek rubbing against Iruka’s chest before he lifted his head again.</p><p>“I love how you look now,” Kakashi said, and Iruka made a prompting noise, half a smile tugging at his lips, “not this,” he smoothed his hands carefully over Iruka’s chest, thumbs brushing just by the scars, “though I do love this,” he dipped his head and kissed Iruka’s chest again, “no, it’s. . .”</p><p>Iruka shifted a little, hands sliding over Kakashi’s shoulders, curious.</p><p>“You look <i>happy</i>, koibito.” Kakashi continued, resettling himself until he lay over Iruka, lean chest pressed to his stomach. “All the time. Whatever else you’re doing, you look just. . . I love seeing you like this, gorgeous. It’s like you’re <i>lighter</i>. And,” he reached up, cupping Iruka’s cheek, “you’re even more gorgeous when you’re happy. You <i>are</i> happy?”</p><p>Iruka’s heart ached. He wound his arms around Kakashi’s shoulders, hugging him tight. “Yes, love.” he said, voice a little thick. “Yes, I’m happy.” He’d told Kakashi before, mostly curled into his fur, or in the dark, confided how it made him feel - as he had, before, resting on a knife edge desperately <i>hoping</i> Kakashi would- Would understand. Or would at least-</p><p>“<i>That’s</i> the best thing.” Kakashi said contentedly, shifting and then pausing a moment before he braced his sharp chin on Iruka’s chest, square between the scars.</p><p>“I love you.” Iruka said softly, looking down at his lover. Cuddling into him. Admiring him. He ruffled Kakashi’s hair over his nape, remembering dozens of times he’d confided in Kakashi, tucked close and whispering or crying into a fluffy ear, or pressed against an angular, too-thin body that shouldn’t have been so comfortable or so secure. “Thank you.” he said, a little rough.</p><p>Kakashi lifted his head, making a very wolfish sound, brows drawn together. “For what?”</p><p>Iruka remembered a dozen more talks, filled with the softly rumbling voice familiar only from close, quiet moments with Kakashi, when confusion had mingled with concern in his lover’s face. When confusion had eased into understanding. When Kakashi had <i>listened</i>, quiet but offering support . . . and every so often a <i>push</i>.</p><p>Iruka shook his head slightly. “For being you.” he said, knowing Kakashi wouldn’t get that either and smiling at him. Kakashi gave him a quizzical look, but leaned up and kissed him softly, crooning affectionately.</p><p>Iruka shifted a little, pushing his fingers through Kakashi’s hair as he pulled away and tugging him back down for another kiss, soft and sweet. He hooked a leg around Kakashi’s, keeping him close, and Kakashi rumbled contentedly, low in his throat.</p><p>The rest of the day could wait a little longer, Iruka thought, tugging Kakashi’s lower lip gently between his own and nuzzling his lover’s cheek before drawing him into another kiss.</p>
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